Huntland donates land for new grocery store

Although there are a few convenience stores in the area, whenever a Huntland family’s grocery list gets long or when needing specialty items, they will typically make the trek to one of the larger stores in Winchester.

Huntland residents once had the Piggly Wiggly on Main Street that they frequented for most grocery items and necessities, but the family-owned store officially closed its doors a two years ago.

However, sometime soon Huntland families may not have to travel to Winchester to get their groceries anymore.

As a way to keep tax dollars in Huntland and help the town’s residents, the Huntland Board made a decision Monday night to donate land to a couple interested in building a new grocery store.

Cliff Tapley stated as a member of the town’s industrial board, he’s wanted to see another grocery store open in the town. He added he thought it’d be successful endeavor and keep Huntland residents from having to drive to Winchester to get things that they need.

Tapley explained Dallas Williams and his wife are the ones interested in the opportunity to open a new grocery store in Huntland, and he’d like to see the town give them the portion of land that runs from Commerce Street to Moore Street to build it on.

“We only have $3,000 in the land, we’re not doing anything with it,” Tapley said. “Of course we’d donate it on the grounds that if something is done within a certain amount of time, the land goes back to the city.”

According to the board, the land will accommodate a store at least the size of the Huntland Community Center as well as parking.

Mayor Patrick Matthews, who was all for donating the land for the grocery store, commented there’d also be sufficient access to the store from either street.

Matthews stated he supports the Williams family and believes this is the least the town could do to help them get started.

“They’re the ones putting their money and livelihoods on the line here,” he said.

Clyditha Syler later made the motion to donate the town’s piece of land to the Williams family for the construction of a grocery store. The motion was seconded by Janet Colburn and approved unanimously by the board.